Synonyms

Definition

Low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance is a carboxylate-rich peptide isolated from the urine and tissues of higher animals that tightly binds Cr3+ ions. The peptide has been suggested to have a role in chromium detoxification and to potentially have a role in improving insulin sensitivity when animals are supplemented with high doses of chromium(III) compounds.

Chromium is absorbed by passive diffusion and then binds to the iron-transport protein in the blood. Transferrin delivers chromium to the tissues where it binds to a low-molecular-weight organic species that is cleared from the tissues. The chromium is ultimately eliminated from the body in the urine as a low-molecular-weight organic complex. This organic complex is called low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance (LMWCr) and has also been coined chromodulin (Vincent and Stearns 2011).